DEFENSE BILLS: The Senate late Oct. 1 passed it fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill and on Oct. 2 started debating its related appropriations bill. The progress allows the chamber to go to congressional conference with the House over the policy bill and move closer to providing regular funding for the military. Meanwhile, the Defense Department and the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere remain funded by the recently passed continuing resolution through at least Nov. 16.
U.S. Air Force laboratories lack adequate control over certain contracting steps and oversight, according to the DOD Office of the Inspector General (IG). The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) plans and executes the service's science and technology program budget, which was $2.4 billion in fiscal 2006. The IG reviewed 20 contracts valued at more than $828 million.
Terrorists obtaining weapons of mass destruction represent the greatest challenge facing the United States, but "attacks impacting our freedom to operate in space and cyberspace also pose serious strategic threats," according to the next head of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM).
Rivalry between the armed services - increasingly stoked by fiscal restraints - and not technology is the greatest challenge to network-enabled joint control of precision strike weaponry, according to Navy Capt. Mat Winter, program manager for precision strike weapons.
NASA has issued a request for proposals (RFP) from industry for a new spacesuit system for the Constellation program, in anticipation of awarding a contract in June 2008.
Space shuttle Discovery, mounted on its external tank and solid rocket boosters for the STS-120 mission, was rolled to Launch Complex 39A Sept. 30. This preserved the schedule for launch to the International Space Station (ISS) as early as Oct. 23. There are still two days of margin to make that date, says Stephanie Stilson, Kennedy Space Center processing manager for Discovery. The rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building was delayed by about 12 hours due to rain and wind at Kennedy.
NMT AFFIRMED: Raytheon said Oct. 1 that the U.S. Navy has directed it to proceed with development of the Navy Multiband Terminal (NMT) after competitor Harris Corp. apparently challenged and lost an award protest over the almost $1 billion program. "The direction to proceed with the NMT contract comes after the U.S. government reviewed a protest by the Harris Corp. and reaffirmed the original award decision that Raytheon offered the best value solution to the customer," Raytheon announced.
Trade association representatives in Washington continue to press lawmakers and even defense acquisition officials to slow down or rethink a slew of potential changes to Defense Department and other federal regulatory regimes.
By putting out what amounts to a new request for proposals (RFP) - limited as it is to the current competitors - for the combat, search and rescue (CSAR-X) helicopter purchase, the U.S. Air Force should be on track to repair its tarnished acquisition reputation, according to industry analysts. The new RFP also could change the outcome of the service's decision, at least one analyst says. And while the move will delay a final contract decision, the service appears to be adamant about sticking to its desired delivery schedules.
JSC AWARD: Johnson Space Center has awarded a five-year, $120 million extension of its cooperative agreement with the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) of Houston covering biomedical research in support of a long-term human presence in space, according to NASA. It is the second five-year extension to the agreement, which began in April 1997 with a value of $93.6 million. This new option extends the agreement through September 2012 and brings its total value to $362 million.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is recommending that the Defense Department make data on enemy-initiated attacks in Iraq available to Congress and the public on a monthly basis. "Enemy-initiated attacks data are a key indicator of progress in improving Iraq's security situation, an important condition that, according to the administration, must be met before the United States can reduce its military presence in Iraq," GAO says in a letter to Congress dated Sept. 28. Aggregated data
HYDERABAD, India - China plans to land a 1,300-kilogram (2,900-pound) lander on the moon in 2015-17 that also would serve as a testbed for a sample-return lander to follow by 2020, one of the China National Space Administration engineers working on the project said here Sept. 28.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected] Oct. 2 - 3 -- AVIATIONWEEK Management Forums, Lean & Six Sigma for MRO, San Francisco, Calif. For more information call (212) 904-2997, http://www.aviationweek.com/forums. Oct. 8 - 11 -- Aeronautical Radio Inc.: 13th Annual Flight Simulator Engineering & Maintenance Conference, Montreal, PQ, Canada. For more information call Samuel Buckwalter, ARINC, at (410) 266-2915.
WING-LAUNCHED: The Pentagon's search for innovation continues with the award of a $25 million contract to Defense Technologies to research a "wing and bomb bay launched unmanned air vehicle." The goal is to provide for development and support of a net-ready, modular, command and control station for unmanned systems. Work is to be completed in 2012. Perhaps related is Progeny Systems' $25 million contract for an open architecture tactical control system.
